Since Fidel Castro handed over the presidency of Cuba to his brother, Raul in early 2008, signs of greater economic openness have led to much speculation.

Will Raul seek to reopen ties with the U.S.? What role will Cuba's American exiles play in shaping a post-Castro Cuba?

Ralph J. Begleiter

Ralph Begleiter brings more than 30 years of broadcast journalism experience to the University of Delaware, where he teaches communication, journalism, and political science. During two decades as CNN's œworld affairs correspondent, Begleiter was the network's most widely-traveled reporter.
He has visited some 95 countries on 6 continents. He continues to travel, with university students to Cuba, South America, Turkey and Antarctica, and conducting media workshops in several countries under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State.
In 1998, Begleiter wrote and anchored a 24-part series on the Cold War. He covered many historic events at the end of the 20th century, including virtually every high-level Soviet/Russian-American meeting; the Persian Gulf Crisis in 1990-91; the Dayton Bosnia Accords; and Middle East Peace efforts.
He has received numerous press awards including, in 1994, the Weintal Prize from Georgetown University's Graduate School of Foreign Service, one of diplomatic reporting's highest honors.

Mauricio Claver-Carone

Mauricio J. Claver-Carone is a Florida-born lawyer who grew up in Madrid. He is one of eight executive committee members of the U.S.-Cuba Democracy Political Action Committee, and the Executive Director of the Cuba Democracy Public Advocacy Corp.

Sarah Stephens

Sarah Stephens is the executive director of the Center for Democracy in the Americas.
A long-time human rights advocate, Stephens began her work in the 1980s at El Rescate, a center for Central American refugees in Los Angeles, and then worked for the the Hollywood Women's Political Committee on human rights issues from 1990-91. Stephens later founded and directed Artists for a Hate Free America, an entertainment industry-backed organization geared toward encouraging youth involvement in human rights and civil rights issues.
Stephens moved to Washington to work at the Washington Office on Latin America, and in December 2001 joined the staff at the Center for International Policy. In 2006, Stephens left CIP and launched the Center for Democracy in the Americas.
As CDA director, Stephens works with U.S. policymakers, journalists and others, to change the debate on U.S. foreign policy toward the hemisphere. Stephens has advocated for changes in our policy toward Cuba in forums, editorial columns, and other publications since starting the Freedom to Travel program in 2001.